


Phobias

by What_They_Call_Me



Series: The Office OT3 [2]
Category: The Office (US)
Genre: Cheating, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Mentions of Pregnancy, Multi, Phobias, Spiders, Storms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-06-16 18:11:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15442890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/What_They_Call_Me/pseuds/What_They_Call_Me
Summary: Everyone has a fear. Dwight, Jim, and Pam help each other through their fears.





	1. Jim: Astraphobia

**Author's Note:**

> Astraphobia, also known as astrapophobia, brontophobia, keraunophobia, or tonitrophobia is an abnormal fear of thunder and lightning, a type of specific phobia. It is a treatable phobia that both humans and animals can develop.

The thunder clapped loudly, shaking the window panes at the Schrute Farm. It had been overcast all day, the sky was bloated and wanted to let loose, and at 2:18 in the morning the clouds had opened. Jim bolted up in bed, his breath shaky and his heart pounding, disrupting it’s two other occupants. 

He shouldn't be scared. Jim knew that. Thunder wasn’t going to hurt him, it was just a sound. That didn’t stop the tremors from running through his body.

Pam yawned sweetly, turning slightly to see Jim upright. Dwight on the other hand was ready, he flung out of bed, hands poised to fight. He looked hilarious, his hair mused with sleep, and his hands curled into fists, standing stark naked on the side of the bed.

Another clap of thunder had Jim shuttering.

“Who do I need to fight? Jim what’s wrong?” Dwight shouted out, looking for a possible intruder.

Jim didn’t speak, just shook his head. 

Pam, who was drowsily coming to, touched Jim’s arm very carefully. She knew about his fear, and she hated how powerless it made her. 

Lightning flashed outside the window, washing the room in a bright glow, Jim tensed. Dwight was looking around, his eyes focused on his partners, with their hands clasped together. 

“Jim,” Pam started, her voice soft and warm, but the thunder sounded and it sent Jim into a shaking mess. Dwight didn’t know what to do, he couldn’t protect Jim and Pam if they wouldn’t tell him what was wrong.

“Jim,” Pam tried again her voice coming out crisp and awake now, “Let’s get dressed and get some coffee.”

Jim was trembling, and another boom of thunder had him gripping Pam’s arm tightly, almost too tightly. He nodded absentmindedly, before climbing out of bed and shoving on a pair of plaid pants. Pam followed suit, slipping on one of Dwight’s tee-shirts.

Jim started going down the steps toward the kitchen. Dwight, who was now in a tank top and boxers, was going to follow suit, but Pam grabbed his arm.

She looked harsh in the darkness, “Dwight, he has a fear, a phobia. You will not make fun of him for this.” Pam whispered.

“A fear of what?” Dwight asked bewildered. Jim was such a calm presence, a relaxed and unstressed person that Dwight had trouble even imaging Jim having a fear of anything.

“Thunder and lightning.” 

“It is only natural, that fear was developed in humans centuries ago, it is a survival instinct. I would never make fun of such natural response.” 

Pam smiled and followed Dwight down the stairs just in time for the two to envelop Jim in a hug as another clap of thunder boomed overhead. Jim buried his head in the crook of Dwight’s neck, seeking protection and comfort. 

“I’ll start some coffee.” Pam said softly. Jim’s head popped up from its place on Dwight’s shoulder. He looked down at Pam with his big worried filled blue eyes.

“No,” Jim spoke up for the first time since he had awoken, “Sleep deprivation isn’t good for the baby.”

Pam smiled, because of course when Jim was terrified he was still worried about his family. Her small hand splayed over her own growing stomach, she wasn’t far along and the bump was just starting to show.

“You know what’s worse for the baby?” Pam asked, making her way to the kitchen, “Being a bad wife and leaving my husband.” 

She then began to fiddle with the coffee pot, Jim would have argued more, but another thunderous clap filled his ears. He buried himself into Dwight, who gently patted the taller man’s hair.

Dwight knew he wasn’t good at comforting, he was much better at protecting. He wished more than anything that Jim’s fear could have been something that he could punch. 

Pam returned a two thunderclaps later, precariously holding three mugs. Dwight had situated Jim on the sofa, their hands clasped together.

Pam handed the coffee’s out, “Coffee isn’t good for the baby.” Dwight reminded her.

Jim looked at his wife with worry. He really didn’t like being weak, he didn’t like that she was sacrificing her own health-- their baby’s health-- to be here for him. Because a stupid, foolish, fear.

“Don’t worry, it’s tea. I just might not be able to stay up as long as you two.” Pam smiled, showing of the tea bag as proof.

“You can go to bed if you want. You-- you don’t have to stay with me if you don’t want to.” Jim spoke with the smallest stutter, he was still shaken by the storm around them.

Another clap of thunder caused Jim to stiffen, and squeeze Dwight’s hand tighter. The older man said nothing, just stroked his thumb over their clasped hands.

“If I went to bed-” Pam yawned, “I wouldn’t be able to tell my husband how pretty he is.” 

Dwight laughed softly, as Pam snuggled into Jim’s side, giving his another weight to ground him in reality. The three talked and sipped their coffees, until Pam nodded off, determined on staying with her boys.

“I feel stupid.” Jim said after another clap of thunder, this was monstrously loud, and too close for comfort caused tears to well in his eyes.

Dwight didn’t speak at first, just turned to look at Jim carefully. After a moment of careful appreciation, Dwight used his hand not entangled with Jim to wipe away the start of tears. Jim leaned into his touch, the warm comforting touch.

“You shouldn’t feel stupid. You should feel brave.” Dwight spoke, his tone too factual. 

“But I am not brave, I can’t even sleep through the night when there is a storm. How can I protect this baby if I’m cowering by myself?” Jim asked, careful not to raise his voice. 

“Fact one, you will never be by yourself. You have two people who love you, and would never leave you when you’re scared. Fact Two, you aren’t raising this baby by yourself, Pam is here to help you through this, you don’t have to protect the baby by yourself.”

“And you?” Jim asked, looking down at their intertwined hands.

“And me what?” Dwight asked. He hated when Jim wasn’t clear.

“You said ‘Pam is here to help,’ but you are too right?” Jim asked, his voice watery, and Dwight didn’t know if it was from the storm or for Dwight.

Either way Dwight could feel a lump in his throat, he loved when Jim and Pam included him in their future. While their relationship was going strong at the moment, the baby was ultimately just Jim and Pam’s, not his. He constantly worried about his place in the relationship after the baby would be born.

“Of course I am.” Dwight finally said.

Jim nodded slightly, succumbing to sleep as well. The worst of the storm seemed to subside, and Dwight was glad for it.

The three slept the rest of the night on the couch, entangled together.


	2. Pam: Arachnophobia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Arachnophobia: the extreme or irrational fear of spiders.

In Michael’s defense he didn’t know. Why would he? Jim didn’t even know.

 

So when Michael slipped the plastic spider into Pam’s salad before her lunch break, no one thought there would be any dire consequences. Well no one had thought anything, because Michael was able to keep this prank a secret.

 

Michael of course had orchestrated a lunch ‘party’ in the conference room, and insisted everyone be a part of it. So reluctantly Jim brought the three lunches he had pack from home in for what Michael was up to. 

 

Pam who had been giggling to Dwight about something, eagerly took her meal. Michael watched Pam eagerly, waiting to explode in laughter. Ryan watched Michael with a mild apprehension, clearly the man was ready to burst.

 

Pam looked through the clear top of the container, and began to shake. A small black arachnid was perched between a tomato and a crouton. She dropped the salad on the floor, and let loose a scream. 

 

“Ha! Pranked!” Michael shouted over Pam’s terrified screams.

 

Pam wasn’t listening to Michael’s words, instead she tried not to imagine spiders crawling over her body, in her hair. Pam was shaking, feeling phantom spiders everywhere, she began to scratch at her skin.

 

_ They’re not there. They’re not there. They’renotthere. They’renotthere.  _

 

The chant that Pam tried to repeat didn’t stop her anxiety. Her heart pounded and she shut her eyes, trying not to imagine dozens of hairy spiders crawling over her, burrowing there way into her skin. Her screams didn’t stop.

 

Michael was try awkwardly to force the office to laugh, but the rest of the office was staring at Pam in shock. 

 

Pam tore off the Cardigan she was wearing, the spiders could hide beneath the fabric. She was left in a tank top that showed more skin that Pam would have liked at work, but she was too distraught to care.

 

Jim tried to reach out and comfort her, but she just ran out, sobs echoing behind her.

 

Jim followed Pam out immediately. Dwight wanted to follow the pair as well, but he also wanted to find out what had happened.

 

“What did you do?” Dwight asked, trying to keep his cool. The only thing that betrayed Dwight’s fury was his balled fists.

 

“Oh come on!” Michael laughed, realising he was in the wrong but not yet willing to admit it, “It was just a prank, a plastic spider.”

 

Dwight jumped to his feet, tempted to destroy Michael. It was difficult, Michael was his hero, the man that Dwight looked up to, but he had hurt one of the loves of his life. No one was able to ever harm a hair on Pam or Jim’s head.

 

Pam had told him about her phobia at the farm. She always had Dwight take care of them, how could Michael do something that so clearly hurt her? Wasn’t it obvious that she hated them? How could her boss do this to her?

 

Dwight opened his mouth, but he closed it again, before storming out of the room to find Pam.

 

It didn’t take long for Dwight to locate Pam and Jim in the woman’s bathroom. Pam was sobbing on the couch in the restroom, and his kneeled in front of her, trying to stop her from scratching at her arms.

 

“I feel…  them all-all over me.” Pam stuttered out, between hysterical sobs.  Jim took a hold of Pam’s hands, moving them away from her red arms.

 

Dwight approached the pair, and kneeled down next to Jim, who looked worried.

 

“I know,” Jim murmured, kissing Pam's forehead. “But you can’t scratch at them. We will get them off, we will protect you.”

 

“Yeah.” Dwight supplied.

 

Pam let out another terrified sob, her entire body shaking. She tried to get Jim to loosen his grip so she could scratch at her arms, which were rubbed raw, and had tiny streaks of blood. Jim hated seeing the red color on Pam, the thought of her bleeding like this made him sick to his stomach.

 

“I feel, I feel them on my arms.” Pam said, her eyes squeezed shut, “Do you see any?”

 

Jim and Dwight diligently looked, even though both knew that nothing was crawling on her skin. They would do anything to make Pam feel better. Her cries were getting quieter.

 

“None on your arms.” Jim reported, and Dwight murmured in agreement.

 

Pam sucked in a stuttering breath before she tentatively asked, “Are there any on my legs?” 

 

Again, Jim and Dwight looked while Pam kept her eyes firmly shut. Her sobs had turned into soft cries. 

 

“None there.” Dwight said.

 

Jim let go of Pam’s arms to wipe away the tears that streaked her face. Pam let out a shaky breath before opening her eyes slowly. Her two boys looked at her, and Pam collapsed into them, pulling them into a hug.

 

Jim ran his hair soothingly through Pam’s hair, smoothing down the unruly curls. Pam nuzzled her face into the crook of Jim’s neck. Dwight rubbed her back soothingly.

 

“I’m sorry I freaked out.” Pam whispered.

 

“Don’t be sorry.” Dwight spoke immediately, he just wanted to protect this woman, “Michael was being an ass.”

 

Pam leaned away from Jim to look at Dwight, she managed a laugh, “I’ve never heard you call Michael an ass before.”

 

“Michael never made the woman I love cry before.” Dwight reasoned, and Jim couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. 

 

They stayed huddled together on the floor of the women's restroom until Pam’s tears had fully subsided. Pam didn’t ever let go of either men, she needed their presence. Whenever the phantom spiders began to crawl again, she would ask them to check, and every time the diligently did their job. They didn’t laugh at her, and they truly did look.

 

Finally when Pam let out a final hiccup, about a half an hour after Pam’s initial outburst, Jim gave his best smile, “You know, we can leave early today. Grab Cece and just unwind.”

 

“I would like that.” Pam sniffed, getting up from her spot on the floor, and then offering a hand to Jim. Dwight didn’t like help up, something about making him weak, and Shrute boys could never be weak.

 

The three escaped the office soon after, for a family day. No one ever said anything about the incident at the office.

 

However after a meeting between Dwight and Michael, their boss mysteriously apologized for his practical joke. 

  
  



	3. Dwight: Athazagoraphobia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is implies to sexual acts, but is not implicit.
> 
> Athazagoraphobia. The fear of being forgotten, ignored, or abandoned.

Dwight exited the elevator feeling fresh and rested, he was in early this morning to get ahead on the days work so that he could pick Cece up from daycare.  As much as Dwight loves Jim and Pam, working is far easier when they are both not in the office to distract him.

Dwight opened the door to the office, an uncharacteristic smile on his face.

But what he saw, made him drop his briefcase in shock, the smile ripped from his face.

On top of the secretary desk was Pam, and between her legs was Andy Bernard. They were kissing, no it was more than kissing, it was devouring each others tongues. Pam’s skirt was pushed up, revealing her long milky legs, that were supposed to be reserved for Dwight and for Jim. The top of her shirt was unbuttoned, exposing her to Andy’s lustful gaze.

Dwight wanted to spring forward, to stop this abomination, stop Andy from stealing another of his lovers away from him, when Jim walked up from behind Andy and began to kiss the other man’s neck.

Andy let out a mule of delight, and pulled Pam impossibly closer to himself.

Dwight gaped, his heart thundered in his chest. 

It felt like the world had collapsed in on itself, and for Dwight it had. The Halpers were his world and they were cheating on him.

Tears welled in Dwight’s eyes, he wanted to scream to yell, to make them stop. 

To make them all stop hurting him.

“Dwight.” Jim whispered, looking up from his kiss. He didn’t look shocked, not particularly worried to be caught in the act.

Pam didn’t look up, she didn’t even care that he was here.

“Dwight.” Jim spoke again, this time louder, as if trying to get him to see something.

Dwight’s entire body seemed to be vibrating. Never before had he been this distraught, this terrified. He would end up alone, because Andy, or maybe someone else eventually, always makes sure he isn’t happy.

Alone.

“Dwight, wake up.” Jim spoke louder, and Dwight was confused. 

The three had stopped kissing, and now they were all just staring at him. 

“Dwight.” JIm called again, finally snapping Dwight out of his nightmare.

Dwight was in bed. Andy wasn’t here, he wouldn’t be alone. He is with Jim and... 

Pam isn’t in their shared bed, Dwight felt his heart thump louder in his veins. He grew hot. 

Jim reached out, putting his hand on Dwight’s shoulder, but Dwight didn’t stop shaking. He truly was being left. Pam was gone, and Jim would be next. They would leave him, like Angela left him.

“Dwight, baby, calm down.” Jim hushed, his voice thick with sleep, but his eyes alert and worried. 

“Pam.” Dwight breathed out, fear coursing through his veins, he needed to find Pam, to convince her to stay with them. 

Jim’s hand was warm and grounding, and as the man pushed himself closer to Dwight he began to feel better. He could take in their surroundings. They were in bed, under the blankets. The baby monitor crackled in Pam’s soft shushing, and gentle voice over Cece’s subsiding cries.

Pam was in the house, she was here, taking care their baby.

She hadn’t forgotten him, hadn’t moved on.

“Dwight, it’s okay. It was just a nightmare.” Jim said, wrapping his arms around the older man. And Dwight wanted to explain that it wasn’t a nightmare, it was his worst fear, his probable future. So much more than a nightmare, but he said nothing, instead let himself cry into Jim’s shoulder.

Pam returned minutes later with Cece successfully asleep, once glance at the two curled into each other, and Pam knew that something was wrong. Pam and Jim made eye contact, before Jim shrugged. Neither knew why Dwight was crying.

Pam crawled into bed behind Dwight, and as soon as he felt her warmth, he embraced her tightly.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, her voice quiet.

For a moment it seemed like Dwight wouldn’t answer her, he just held her tightly. Until a soft shaky voice murmured from Pam’s shoulder, “You left me for Andy.”

That stung. Pam let her breath hitch, and Jim looked on in tears. Dwight was worried that Pam and Jim would leave him the same way Angela left him. For a heartbreaking moment, Pam wondered if this was just a rebound, if Dwight’s heart still lay with Angela.

“It was just a dream.” Pam assured him. Jim put a comforting hand on Dwight’s back, showing solidarity in this front. Any thought of them leaving Dwight for Andy was just in his dreams. 

“We are never leaving you.” Pam whispered, biting back tears. 

Sometimes ( ~~often~~ ) she loathed Angela for leaving Dwight broken, for betraying his trust. Dwight deserved so much better than that relationship. And if it took Pam the rest of her life, she would prove it to Dwight.

“Yeah, we’re in this for the long haul.” Jim mummered. There had been a time where Jim hadn’t been sure, but now? Now Jim couldn’t imagine his life without Dwight in it.

Dwight nodded, before pulling back from Pam’s shoulder. 

Pam leaned in slowly, brushing her lips over his. Dwight wanted to kiss her more deeply, to wipe away any image of her with Andy, but settled for this long slow kiss. 

When they broke apart, Dwight turned to gently kiss Jim too. 

“I love you.” Jim whispered as the kiss was broken. “You are so important to me.”

There was a beat of silence, before the three got situated for bed. Normally they fell asleep with Dwight holding Jim, who held Pam, but tonight, Pam spooned Dwight and Jim clung to the man from the front. Sandwiched between his lover’s Dwight knew that they would never leave him. Especially not for Andy.

“Promise?” Dwight asked into the night. He still had to be sure.

Pam and Jim knew what he meant.

“Promise.” They both vowed.

  
  



End file.
